The Intervention
by Sheller2
Summary: This story takes place some time around Season 3 or 4. Walt finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy. Comments and encouragement are welcome as always.
1. Chapter 1

**Capture and Containment**:

Walt could not believe what Vic had done to him. It was one of their rare days off and they intended to hang out together. But not like this. A bewildered Walt had somehow found himself in this predicament. Vic had his hands behind his back confined in handcuffs. She was frog-marching him through the saloon doors and into the back office of the Red Pony.

"I told you this was a serious matter," Vic said, yanking upwards on his thumbs momentarily, to drive home her point. Walt yelped in pain. Vic was trying hard not to laugh. "We ALL told you…but no…no…you had to let it fester unresolved. Now's the time to pay the piper," she said, laughing quietly behind Walt's back.

Walt, by now, was more than mildly puzzled and quite angry. His wrists and shoulders ached. He was also worried about who might see him like this. It was most unbecoming for a Sheriff.

Moments ago, he had played along with the proposal and had allowed Vic to fool around with her new set of handcuffs. What a mistake that was. She had told him it was merely to see if her new regulation issue cuffs would actually fit on a large suspect's hands. Ha!

And now in handcuffs and against his will, Walt was being dragged into the Red Pony.

"Vic, what the hell is going on? This is crazy. Get these cuffs off me. This is beyond funny," bellowed Walt, now starting to build a head of steam.

"We told you. Get in there, Buster," Vic said as she put both hands on Walt's back and propelled him through the bar to Henry's back office. It was only 10:30 am, and the Pony was not open for customers yet. Thankfully.

There inside the back office Walt was very surprised to see Henry and Cady. They were leaning against the desk, arms crossed in front of them, looking smug. This annoyed Walt even more.

"We told you," they both said in unison, with Henry wagging his forefinger for added emphasis.

"What the fuck are you guys doing," roared Walt, finally losing control. He didn't think he had ever used such language in front of Cady before. But this was beyond frustrating for him.

Henry rose from his position and grabbed Walt by the elbow. He helped him sit down on the couch. "If you behave and follow instructions, we may put the cuffs in front."

Cady, not particularly bothered by her father's language, rose and proceeded to bolt the office door from the inside. She rejoined Henry back at the desk. Vic joined them once it looked like Walt was not going to try and get out the door. All three looked at Walt, who was beginning to fidget on the couch. The cuffs chafed at his wrists, which were really too large to fit into the restraining device. For once in his professional life, Walt experienced a little bit of what it must be like for someone to be confined and arrested.

After a few moments of observation, the three sighed. Vic shook her head as if conveying disappointment. She sighed again. So did Walt.

Seeing Walt's discomfort, Vic was beginning to soften slightly. She walked over and crouched down in front of him, placing one hand on his knee. "Walt, just cooperate and we'll be through this in no time," she pleaded. "I'll undo the cuffs if you cooperate and participate," she added. Walt wondered why she kept using the term 'participate'.

Although Walt would never want to actually hurt Vic, he did ponder kicking her for a moment. But then quickly dashed that thought. "Vic, please. My arms are getting sore," Walt pleaded with a touch of whining in his voice. "Could you please let me out of these?"

"Ok. But you've got to help us here. If you don't, Henry has bear spray and a stun gun in his desk and is prepared to use either on you," she laughed a bit hollowly. She gave Henry and Cady a wink. She pushed Walt's torso forward on the couch to access his cuffs. "Here, lean forward."

Walt turned slightly forward on the couch to expose his hands. Vic unlocked the handcuffs and got Walt repositioned back on the couch. She did feel bad. She could see that his shoulder muscles ached and his wrists were red and chafed. He moaned and rubbed both shoulders, grateful to be done with the restraints. He flexed his wrists and rubbed them as well. Vic leaned down and whispered into his ear, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." She gave his shoulder a bit of a rub and looked over at Cady.

"Now, Dad," Cady said. "Are you going to cooperate with us?" She noticed the growing intimacy between Vic and her dad. She felt strangely pleased to see it.

"I guess so. Do I have any choice?" Walt asked, rubbing his sore wrists. He glared at the three of them, still angry, but not wanting to antagonize them. He could sense though, that Vic and the other culprits did not intend to hurt him.

He sighed. He still had no idea what this was all about.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Intervention**:

The stalemate was over. Or maybe it had just begun?

Vic looked at Henry and Cady and began to explain. "Walt. We brought you here to discuss a very serious matter. If you will just cooperate here, we'll get to the point," Vic explained. She nodded to Henry.

"Henry, shall we begin?" Vic gestured to Cady and Henry. Cady stood up and moved behind the desk to close the window blinds. Henry rose and pushed a heavy chair in front of the already locked door.

"Henry, I'm pretty pissed off right now, but I'm not going to bust through you guys and out the door. That's not necessary," Walt said.

"I will be the judge of that, Walter," Henry said with a serious tone. Walt glared at him. He hated it when Henry called him that. Early on in his life, the formal version of his name had usually been reserved for Walt's father, and latterly, for Ruby.

Henry and Vic moved quickly to set up a folding table in the middle of the room. On the table they installed a projector that was aimed towards the back wall beyond the desk. Cables were attached to Henry's laptop. Cady adjusted the lights and fiddled with the computer. The presentation began.

"Walter," Henry said slowly. "Although you are normally a reasonable and compassionate person, you have committed a grave error. For many moons now, we have been concerned about your horse's welfare."

"What are you talking about?" Walt interjected. "You know I take very good care of him. I would never do anything to harm or neglect him," he explained, hackles raised.

"Walter, it is obvious that you have failed to provide the basic necessities of life for your horse. You have failed to treat your horse in a kind and humane fashion. This has been repeatedly pointed out to you. You have not given your horse a real name. 'Horse' is not a name, it is merely a noun. Today we are going to rectify that." In the slightly darkened room, Henry's eyes bored deep into Walt's.

Walt could tell that this was no joke. He was in the middle of an intervention about his bloody horse's name.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Rules**:

Cady explained how the intervention was going to work. It was 10:30 am on a Sunday morning and was still theoretically a day of rest for most people in the somewhat lingering conservative state of Wyoming. No alcohol could be served and thus it was typically a slow day for sales at the Pony. Only food could be served, offerings of which would begin at noon. Henry had booked a cook and server to cover for him. He had the entire day off and thus could remain ensconced in his office for the entire day if required. Ditto for Cady and Vic.

The whole time Cady was talking, Vic was observing Walt. She could see that he was frustrated, but was beginning to relax. She also saw admiration on his face for his daughter Cady.

"Lest we falter from malnutrition, there will be food served to us at 12:30," Henry explained. "Walter, it will cost you $ 9.50, so pleased be prepared to pay your server. There will be no alcohol available."

'My god,' Walt thought to himself as he frowned. 'I'm trapped in an intervention and I have to buy my own lunch. How sad. And no beer either.' He directed a frown at Henry.

"There will be a bathroom break every 2 hours, Walter. You may be handcuffed again, if required," Henry stated, looking stern. At that comment Walt scowled at Henry. He offered a wan smile at his daughter. To Vic, he tried to appear pleasantly cooperative. He searched his memory banks: how did that old expression go…I know which side my bread is buttered on…Vic could be dangerous. It was best to appear cooperative to her. Fake it if necessary.

Vic, always observant, noticed the different faces that Walt was presenting to the three conspirators. She wasn't fooled for a minute. She nodded to Cady, who turned on the laptop and opened up a Power Point presentation.

Vic got Walt's attention by aiming the hand held laser pointer at him. She waved the red laser dot at his knee until he acknowledged her. Of course, for safety reasons, she avoided pointing the laser at his face or eyes.

The first slide contained a bulleted list of sources they had consulted. The trio had been working on this clandestine project for weeks and had made considerable effort to scour a number of resources in their determined quest. Their list included: the web, horse books and magazines, local and state veterinarians, horsey people, farriers, farmer, ranchers, native elders, breeders, shop keepers, government and university extension offices, friends and family.

The next slide contained a summary of categories of horse names. Vic explained this time, and she now held a long wooden pointer in her hand. For emphasis, she tapped it loudly several times on the side of Henry's wooden desk. She was wearing her reading glasses by now, and had them perched low on her nose, going for the stern school teacher look.

She noticed a small smile creeping onto Walt's face. She explained that the names could be selected because of (or for the purposes of associating with): the horse breed, colour, size or shape, gender, personality. They could also be linked to a historical event or figure, family history, humour, Native American traditions or beliefs, TV shows/movies, mythology or literature.

Vic sat down, pushing her glasses higher up on her nose in a more comfortable position. Discretely, she stuck her tongue out very slightly at Walt and elicited another micro-smile from her prey.

Cady took over. "Dad. The options are endless, as you can imagine. Each of us has worked to whittle those down to a handful of names for each of the categories that Vic outlined. We'll show you the slides and lists on the screen. We've also printed the lists for you to peruse. We truly hope you can use this information to make a selection that we can all live with. Including your horse! We want you to be a responsible, compassionate 'pet parent' and find a name that makes you happy and which suits your horse."

"Cady, my horse is not a pet," Walt replied.

"Well, it's an animal that you care for. Let's just call it a pet for now."

Walt conceded the point. He could not help but be impressed by the effort his friends and family had made.

One by one, Cady scrolled through the slides, revealing categories and lists of selected names.

**BREED**: Morgan, Palomino, Paint, Calico

**COLOUR**: Ginger, Ebony, Cinnamon, Velvet, Chestnut, Pepper, Copper, Midnight, Onyx, Adobe

**SIZE**: Goliath, Giant, Titan, Brutus, Buster

**PERSONALITY**: Whiskers, Diablo, Lobo, Buttons, Buster, Titan

**HISTORICAL**: Trigger, Victory, Champion, Silver, Buck, Diablo, Phantom, Farus, Challenger

**SYMBOLISM** (LAW ENFORCEMENT): Justice, Chief, Nemesis, Captain, Trooper, Colonel, Galliant

(Walt really appreciated this category and suspecting its origins, he shot a full smile at Vic, which she knowingly and happily returned)

**HUMOUROUS**: Bandit, Sputnik, Lobo, Weaver, Biscuit, Trojan, Buckeye

**NATIVE AMERICAN TRADITION**: Geronimo, Cheyenne, Cochise, Apache, Dakota, Windigo, Lakota, Hawk

**TV SHOW/MOVIE**: Mr. Ed, Moose, Jalopy, Flicka, Pegasus, Black Beauty, Cochise, Sugar, Captain, Scout, Rocket, Flame

**MYTHOLOGY**: Atlas, Pegasus, Apollo, Nyx, Starbuck, Ares, Chiron, Helios

**GEOGRAPHICAL**: Durango, Pecos, Panama, Aspen, Caldera, Dallas, Kentucky

**OTHER**: Chester, Luke, Magnus, Magnum, Ace, Alomar, Navarro, Neon, Baron, Gypsy, Baxter

**LITERATURE**: Virgil, Seneca, Titus, Mareus, Gitano, Jody, Billy Buck, Gabiran, Lennie, Holden, Atticus, Montoya, Beckett, Conrad, Ishmael, Orlando

**SILLY**: Hall & Oates, Frankenstein, Bucktooth, Hoofer, Overbite, General Tao, Ziggy, Bumpkin, Fattie, Blackie, Bowser, Ponyboy, Broomstick, Reckless, Sylvester Stallion, Pinto Bean, Nipper, Tater Trot

They all had a good laugh at the last category. Vic had suggested including it to lighten everyone's mood. "Walt, we were joking about this last category. We got a bit silly near the end of a long night's session. Also you'll note that there are very few names consisting of two words, like Seattle Slew. We really felt that you and the horse would benefit from a single, strong name. We hope that's ok."

"Yup. Thanks you guys. Um…I mean for going to all this effort. I can see that you really care about this issue. And you really put a lot of time into this process. I agree, I won't be considering anything from the last category," Walt said, laughing. Suddenly he felt lighter, knowing that the perpetual hounding from Henry, Cady, Vic, even Ferg and Ruby, would come to an end soon. Even Dorothy at the Busy Bee had cornered him once, demanding to know when he was going to name his horse. He suspected that Vic had put her up to that! He had never seen the lack of a name as a big deal, but obviously everyone else had. He was smart enough to know that the issue was NEVER going to go away. He was determined now to select a good name and be done with it all.

They gave Walt a few minutes to think. "Walt, can you see yourself picking a name from one of these lists?" Henry asked.

"Yup. But I'll need time to eliminate some and make a short list," Walt replied, taking on a bit of ownership of the process.

"Walt, do you just want to cross names off the printouts?" Vic asked.

"I guess so. I think some categories interest me more than others. Maybe that's a good starting point. Hey, I'm gettin' hungry," Walt said, looking at the clock, which read 11:53.

"Dad, I have a suggestion. How about before we break for lunch, we try to eliminate any categories you definitely don't like. If that's possible, I mean. And of the categories you do like, maybe you can cross out a few names that don't work. And then after lunch, maybe we could help you make the first short list," Cady offered hopefully. She smiled at her Dad, a little proud of his willingness to let their unconventional process unfold. She knew he wouldn't have created such an elaborate naming process like this one, but deep down he would appreciate them for doing it for him.

"Aw shucks, Walt. You're not going with 'Overbite' or 'Ponyboy'? I'm a little disappointed," Vic offered with a wicked grin on her face. "I'm gettin' hungry too. Henry, I know you can't sell us any beer today, but could you GIVE us one? And we can settle up with you on another day. All this thinkin' is making me thirsty."

"You three start working on the lists and I will go see about lunch. If I happen to bring back some beer and set it on the desk, and if you might happen to drink it, it might quench your thirst, no?" He received a nod from everyone. "Alright then; remember NO MONEY can change hands. It is Sunday after all," Henry proclaimed. He exited the office, headed towards the kitchen.

Walt, Vic and Cady made quick progress. They readily eliminated a number of name categories. They settled on Walt's favourite categories, Mythology and Literature and he held in reserve, the names Onyx and Baron from the eliminated categories.

Before long, Henry brought them all lunch, burgers and fries, which was their usual. To Walt's dismay, Henry demanded the $ 9.50 payment for Walt's lunch. Begrudgingly, Walt handed Henry a ten dollar bill and asked for the 50 cents in change. Henry, knowing precisely how this transaction would unfold, already had the 50 cents of change in his closed hand, which he opened and dropped in Walt's hand. "What, no tip?" asked Henry with only a hint of a smile.

The brain work had made them all hungry. They enjoyed their burgers. And one beer each, from the cold ones which had magically appeared. No offers had been made, either as an invitation to imbibe or as an invitation to make payment. Afterall, it was a Sunday. And it was Wyoming.

After their meal, Walt was allowed to visit the bathroom. No handcuffs were required. There was a tiny window in the men's room, which Henry doubted that Walt could fit through.

The four friends sat in the office for a while after their meal. The tension from earlier in the day had dissipated. Walt offered his thanks for their determination to see this issue resolved, and for the energy he knew they had expended.

"Henry, thanks for a great lunch. I was really hungry. That might have been the best $ 9.50 I was forced to pay for a meal."

"You are welcome. I still think it would have been nice of you to offer a tip. I would have given it to Jess, you know, and not kept it for myself," added Henry.


	4. Chapter 4

**A New Name**:

After a few more moments of rest, the group continued.

They all had names which they favoured. On a lark, Cady suggested they write their preferred name on the white board above Henry's desk. She thought they might all like to see the names that they would choose. She knew that some categories would resonate with her dad. She thought that Walt would be really intrigued or influenced by the Native American, Literature and Historic groupings.

In spite of a forced beginning, the session had morphed into a rather pleasant experience for all four of them. Henry, Cady and Vic were pleased to see Walt actively engaged in the process after the lunch break. The anger had dissipated early on. It had been replaced by curiosity and determination. And maybe the Rainier reward had something to do with it. Henry had promised more beer for Walt, once the name had been selected.

**Their favourite names were****: **

Henry – Holden

Cady – Dallas or Baron

Vic – Sputnik (just kidding) – Magnus or Magnum

Walt – (preliminary list) – Baron, Virgil, Helios, Kronos, plus 1 name held in reserve

He was leaning towards Virgil, who had been Dante's guide in the Inferno. But it didn't seem like a strong enough name. He sort of wanted to pick a name that wasn't very obscure. He really didn't want to have to keep explaining or justifying the name to others later on.

He also liked the name Atlas, which was synonymous with strength.

The group chatted freely about their preferences. Each person was invited to speak about their favourites and why they chose them, and what they meant.

To the group's surprise, Walt asked for a moment on the laptop. "Henry, you have internet service here don't you?" Walt asked. "I wanna check something."

"Yes, of course," Henry replied, walking over to the laptop on the desk. He minimized the Power Point presentation and called up his preferred search engine. "Here you go," he gestured for Walt to sit down at the desk.

While Walt spent a few minutes using the computer to do some research, Henry, Cady and Vic sat down on the couch, watching him.

"Fascinating," said Henry.

"Unbelievable," said Cady.

"Who knew," said Vic.

"Ha ha," said Walt, pretending to be insulted by their teasing.

After about ten minutes, Walt closed down the search engine and returned Power Point to the foreground.

"Well, I'm ready. I have a name," he said, with a big smile on his face. He looked really pleased with himself.

From behind the desk, Walt rose to speak to the group. He debated whether to pick up the wooden pointer that Vic had used earlier. He took a deep breath and said with conviction, "I've selected the name _**STARBUCK**_ for my horse. I've always been a big fan of Melville and Moby Dick."

He continued on to explain that it was a strong yet straightforward name. It could even be shortened to Star on occasion. The character from the book was thoughtful and intelligent and was not vengeful. This latter trait was particularly significant for Walt. His horse had previously experienced violence and trauma and yet remained loyal and calm. The character from the book was known to be decent and reasonable. These were all very important character traits to Walt. And were an excellent fit with his horse's character. And he really liked the notion of taking name from literature. Books were a huge part of his life.

Henry, Cady and Vic were pleased. None of them had guessed that Walt would have selected that name. They offered congratulations to Walt for completing the task at hand. And for being a good sport about the process.

With a flourish, Henry stood up and unlocked the door. Well, opened the door. It had not been necessary to actually bolt the door after lunch. They all said goodbye. Henry shook Walt's hand and said "no hard feelings. Your relationship with your horse will now improve greatly. You will now have to teach him his name. I wish you much enjoyment." Henry offered no apologies as none were required. He knew full well that Walt had often needed prodding to pursue goals. And as always, Walt would be thankful for a friend who knew enough to prod when necessary.

"Henry. That was a bit tacky you know. Making me pay for my own lunch," Walt said with a grin.

"Walt. I feed you all the time for free," Henry replied, laughing. He indicated that he wished to depart, knowing that his services in the kitchen would be appreciated by his staff.

Walt gave his daughter a hug. "Thanks, Punk. I guess you know your old dad pretty well, huh?"

"Dad…" Cady replied softly. Her face was pressed into his neck. "We know you pretty well, and we love you anyways," she continued, laughing. A misty eyed Walt smiled at his lovely daughter. Cady moved towards the door, saying goodbye to Vic.

But then Walt spun on his heels faster than any of them thought possible. He had Vic pushed up against the wall in a wrist lock. His handcuffs came out quickly. Vic was immobilised before she could even catch her breath and realize what was going on.

Walt pressed the full length of his body against Vic. He pressed one knee between her legs to put her off balance and make her comply. He whispered into her neck, "Gotcha. Now you're mine." His lips lingered at her neck long after his whispers were heard.

Vic blushed but did not move. She turned her head and said "Henry and Cady. Will you excuse us please? We have some personal Sheriff's business to attend to."

Henry looked at Cady, made a motion with his head, and they left the office together. Out on the main floor of the bar they chatted for a moment.

"I think that went well," offered Cady trying not to think about her dad and Vic together like that, just on the other side of that door, fooling around with handcuffs. "He seemed pleased at the end. I was surprised at the name though."

"Yes, I noticed a little bit of optimism creeping in there before lunch. He became invested in the process. As always, it takes time for him to review, absorb, adopt and decide."

"Yeah, for sure. Hey, do you think he and Vic are going to get together?" Cady asked.

"I think so, particularly with the handcuffs like that." Henry laughed, reflecting privately for a moment. He had definitely noticed the looks Vic and Walt kept giving each other all morning. "They have a close bond. They challenge each other, which is good. And they support each other, which is even better."

"I think they are good for each other. Well, I've gotta run. Thanks Henry. I'm really glad we did this. You know my dad appreciates a prodding now and then, although he'd never admit. I wonder how long it takes for a horse to learn its name," Cady pondered. "I kind a like the name now."

"Yes, it is a good name. It will not take long for the horse. I am sure that your father will spend quality time with STARBUCK." He smiled at the sound of the new name. He gave his goddaughter a hug and they parted company.

Back in the office, Walt decided to show a little mercy towards Vic. But in his own plodding way. He guided a still-handcuffed Vic over to the couch and helped her get seated. He received an eye roll for that.

"Here, sit down for a while. I have a Power Point presentation prepared for you," he said, laughing at Vic, who, by now, was growing irritated. She too had had little first-hand experience wearing handcuffs, maybe at a training session years ago at the police academy. Well, there was that time with Ed Gorski, but she didn't want to think about that.

Vic's shoulders were beginning to ache. She started to squirm on the couch. "Didn't know that you knew what Power Point was."

"Yeah, I'm just full of surprises."

"Um…Walt…My arms are really starting to get sore. Can you get these off me," Vic pleaded.

Walt, knowing very well how uncomfortable Vic was getting, took a step. He sat on the coffee table in front of Vic and put his hands on her knees. "What's in it for me? If I remove the cuffs," he asked, grinning. He squeezed her knees, wanting to move them apart a little so he could move closer, but he hesitated.

"Please," Vic moaned. "Pretty please. I'll do anything."

"Anything?" Walt raised one eyebrow as only he could do. He was met with another eye roll. But he was intrigued by Vic and her interest in him. But feeling bad, he motioned for Vic to lean forward. He quickly unlocked the cuffs and said, "turn sideways a bit…I'll rub your shoulders. I know how it feels."

Vic turned away from him on the couch while Walt massaged her neck, shoulders and upper arms. He could feel her begin to relax under his ministrations. He liked that this event had brought them closer together.

"Ooh, that feels good. Thanks," Vic moaned a little. "You're not mad are you?"

"Nope, I'm good. It was a good day."

"You seem pleased. You know…we meant well. It's an interesting name," Vic commented.

"I AM pleased. I have to admire the effort you guys went to…the research and the presentation. Coulda done without the handcuffs though."

Vic relaxed further and leaned back into Walt's body. It seemed like a very natural thing to do. He put his arms around her and held her there for a long time. They chatted about the presentation. Vic told him about the initial idea (Henry's) and their research and planning sessions. And that they had had fun putting it all together. She made a point of letting Walt know that it was never their intention to upset him or truly force a name on him. Repeatedly throughout the planning process, Henry had reiterated that it was meant to steer Walt to a place that he wanted to go, but could not get their by himself.

Walt sighed at Vic's last comment. He wondered what it would be like to be the kind of person who didn't need to be pushed into doing something.

"Vic," he said, burying his face into the side of her neck, playing with her hair. "I like this. Being close to you like this, I mean."

"Yeah, me too. Feels really good. I wasn't sure there, whether you'd be mad at us. You feel pretty relaxed to me now." Vic smiled as she held onto Walt's hands on her stomach.

"Well, I was irritated at first. But then I saw this look on Cady's face. I could tell that all she wanted was to help her old dad. And then I saw something a little like that, with you and Henry too. And then I realized that you had put all this energy into doing something to help me – to help me achieve a goal. Maybe it was a goal I didn't even realize that I wanted or needed. But you knew me well enough to push me a little. Sooooo…thanks for that. I'm also really happy with the name."

They sat there without speaking. They felt a warmth from each other that wasn't really about the temperature. Although they were enjoying some private time alone, Walt still sensed Henry's presence on the other side of the office door and then things didn't seem so private. After a few more minutes, Walt suggested that they go to the cabin. It was only mid-afternoon and there was plenty of daylight left. They could visit with Starbuck and start getting him acquainted with his new name. "Vic, stay for dinner?"

They gathered their things and left the office. Henry, who was standing behind the bar washing glasses, raised his arm as if to check his watch. They had been alone in his office for a long time.

"Say goodbye, Henry," Walt said with a smile as they walked towards the exit.

"Goodbye Henry," said Henry in return.

They drove out to the cabin, holding hands the whole way. Both of them were a bit nervous, not wanting to spoil the mood with serious questions or jolting thoughts of a return to work where they would have to pretend to be just Sheriff and Deputy. Neither was sure of where they were headed. It made them nervous.

Walt hopped out of the Bronco and headed right for the stable.

Vic held back for a moment to give Walt some time alone with his horse.

As Walt approached the stable he called out softly "Hi Starbuck." The horse pricked his ears at the expression on his friend's face and at the new word.

"Yep, that's your name," Walt crooned softly, scratching under his horse's chin. "Starbuck, that's you." Walt got a handful of treats from a bucket in the shed.

He looked back at Vic, who was leaning against the Bronco with a broad smile on her face. She was very pleased to see Walt looking so happy. She also really liked the new name. As a child she was glued to the TV set and was always a fan of science fiction programs. She had actually never read Moby Dick, but now felt very inclined to seek out the book.

"Hey, Vic, come here. I want you to meet Starbuck," Walt called out, with an equally big smile lighting up his face.


End file.
